Blessed Trinity scored on a big trick play and the Titans’ defense did the rest in an 18-0 victory Friday at Westminster.
Pat Jasinski caught a 93-yard touchdown pass, quarterback Conor Davis scored on a 1-yard sneak and Marc Nolan kicked two field goals, lifting the Titans to their third consecutive victory over Westminster.
The defenses owned the first half. Neither team managed to pick up a first down in the first quarter. And with Blessed Trinity backed up inside its 10-yard line early in the second quarter, coach Tim McFarlin knew his offense needed a spark.
Running back Milton Shelton took a handoff, ran to his right, then threw a strike to a wide-open Jasinski. Jasinski fought off a defender with a stiff arm and raced 93 yards for a touchdown.
“They were hammering us, and we were grasping at straws. We couldn’t move the ball on them,” McFarlin said of the trick play call from inside his 10.
“As aggressive as their defense was playing, we felt that if we could get it off, it might work. It’s just one of those lucky plays. It’s high school football.”
The Titans’ young defense, with only four returning starters from last season’s playoff squad, dominated. Linebackers Zach Mitchler and Jasinski and safety Chris Keegan shut down Westminster’s ground game.
Keegan also started at quarterback, before Davis, a sophomore, took over in the second quarter and played well.
Westminster’s biggest scoring threat came in the second quarter. Quarterback Jake Forte found Chris Ottley for a 43-yard completion to the Titans’ 19. But the drive ended with a missed field goal.
The Titans didn’t run a play in Westminster territory the entire first half, but still took a 6-0 lead into the locker room.
Carter McManes’ interception on the first play of the fourth quarter led Nolan’s first field goal, putting Blessed Trinity up 15-0 with 8:43 to play.
Jake Johnson had an interception late in the first quarter for the Wildcats.
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